This invention relates to prosthetic heart valves, and more particularly to prosthetic heart valves having flexible leaflets and a stent structure for supporting and helping to shape the leaflets.
One well-known type of prosthetic heart valve includes a hollow, annular, stent structure to which a plurality (e.g., three) flexible leaflets are attached so that free edge portions of the leaflets can alternately move in toward and into contact with one another in the interior of the stent (valve closed condition), or out away from one another (valve open condition). In this type of valve the leaflets are typically attached to the stent by suturing. The suturing process is labor-intensive and the quality of the result is dependent on the skill-level of the individual operator. Suturing perforates the leaflet material and can potentially cause stress concentration, especially when placed at a location that experiences large operational stress. The tension applied by the suture is not controlled, which can affect the local geometry of the leaflet at the location of suture attachment. All of these factors can adversely affect the service life of the device.